17 rushed to hospital after two double-decker buses collide in Manchester

Nine ambulances, an air ambulance, two response vehicles, an advanced paramedic and an operational commander attended the scene near the junction of Rochdale Road and Livesey Street (Google Maps)
Nine ambulances, an air ambulance, two response vehicles, an advanced paramedic and an operational commander attended the scene near the junction of Rochdale Road and Livesey Street (Google Maps)

17 people were rushed to hospital after two double-decker buses collided in Manchester.

Emergency services were called to the scene of the crash north of the city centre after reports of the crash at 8:34am on Saturday morning.

Nine ambulances, an air ambulance, two response vehicles, an advanced paramedic and an operational commander attended the scene near the junction of Rochdale Road and Livesey Street, North West Ambulance Service said.

A spokesperson added: “Seventeen patients were taken to hospitals across Manchester, including seven on a bus accompanied by a paramedic.”

Shocking images shared to social media showed huge amount of damage to one of the buses with its windscreen and dront panels smashed in.

An eyewitness told Manchester Evening News that one bus had “gone into” another, while another bus had “gone through a metal fence”.

The media outlet reported that passengers were forced to climb out of the wreckage while one person had to be rescued from the upper deck by fire crews.

Local residents faced severe disruption as all of Rochdale Road was blocked off by the incident while authorities worked to clear debris strewn across the area. The road has now reopened

Local councillor Pat Karney attended the site and shared an image of the “unbelievable damage” done to the bus on X/Twitter.

He called for an investigation into what had happened as he told BBC Radio Manchester that it was an “incredible amount of damage”.

“It’s hard to work out what went on but it looks as though a bus went a great speed into another bus,” he said. “People don’t wear seat belts on buses so they must have been traumatised.”